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By KEITH ST. CLAIR
Published February 9, 2005
Slobodan Juric/tbt*
Robert Mondavi Jr., right, watches the expressions of patrons as they taste the wine of Mondavi Corp. during the SideBern’s tasting Feb. 2. Representatives from more than 30 Napa Valley wineries were pouring their wares. Interested in seeing more photos from the tasting? Click here
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I can't believe it.
I spent nearly three hours at SideBern's for the Napa Valley Nightlife event last Wednesday and never even tried a single bite of Jeannie Pierola's food. Considering she's my favorite chef in Tampa Bay, you now know how dedicated I am to giving you the lowdown on what wines are worth trying.
Along with a few hundred other folks, I squeezed into Bern's Fine Wine & Spirits and waited to file into this event. But unlike the majority of the well-dressed crowd, I bypassed the great looking array of food set up in SideBern's and headed straight for the tasting tent next door.
Representatives from more than 30 Napa Valley wineries were pouring their wares. There was so much world class wine and so little time.
Sorry, Jeannie, but you know I'll be back for your food.
Shafer: Their merlot has always been among my absolute favorites, especially when price isn't a factor. The '02 version is outstanding. It has a great nose of plum, oak and cherry, and wonderful, ripe flavors of the same. It is drinking great now, but has the structure to easily age five-plus years. ($39 suggested retail.) The '02 cabernet sauvignon is very nice, but overshadowed by the merlot. The cab ($50) delivers earthy spice and black cherry and is one to drink young.
Saintsbury: This producer is known for its pinot noirs, and these didn't disappoint. The '02 Carneros pinot ($32) has a nice nose and gives darker fruits and lots of spice. Drink it young. The '02 Brown Ranch is a single vineyard pinot with great concentration of fruit and lots of spice, although the nose was a little shy.
Silverado: At $14, their '02 sauvignon blanc is a steal. A huge nose of light fruits plus honeysuckle and melon, along with bracing acidity makes this a perfect food wine. The '01 cabernet sauvignon ($49) delivers great fruit and lots of tannins to back it up. This one's an ager.
Joseph Phelps: On a night where I tried dozens of outstanding wines, it was this winery that might have impressed me the most. The combination of quality and value delivered by these two wines is hard to beat. The '01 merlot and '02 cabernet sauvignon both retail for $40 and both are remarkable. Phelps' director of marketing, Michael McEvoy, said that no merlot was used in the '01 Phelps Insignia (their elite Bordeaux blend), so all their best merlot juice from that vintage went into their regular bottling. The result is a wine loaded with fruit and spice, and the structure that would allow this bottling to age easily for a decade. The cab delivers tons of spice, dark fruit and sweet oak, and also is an ager.
Mount Veeder: Both the '01 cabernet sauvignon ($40) and the '01 Reserve (a $60 Bordeaux blend) were winners, with the cab being a better value. Loads of spice, sweet oak and nice fruit, along with the structure for ageing. The blend (52% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot and 9% petit verdot, according to the winery's estate director, Sophia Tsilimigras) is elegant, yet still possesses great intensity of fruit.
Gustavo Thrace: A tiny wine producer that made a big impression. Their '02 Signature Blend Zinfandel was tannic and quite young. But that wasn't at all surprising, considering Thrace Bomberger, one of the winery's partners, told me that the wine had been bottled just eight days earlier. She said she struggled over whether to pour it at the tasting, but I'm glad she did. This young wine, sourced from 40-year-old vines according to Bomberger, has the potential to be outstanding in a few years. It is a steal at $25. She also poured their '99 cabernet sauvignon ($35), which had just been released and was outstanding. She said that because their winery is such a small operation, they have the luxury of holding onto their wines until they feel certain it's time to ship them. Only 300 cases of each of these was produced. Both wines are worth tracking down.
- Keith St. Clair, an editor who lives in Clearwater, frequents tastings throughout Tampa Bay. E-mail him at stclair@tampabay.com.
Taste (for yourself)Unscrew Your Valentine 2/10 / A selection of 10 screwtop wines, including Wishing Tree Shiraz from Australia and Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay from New Zealand, will be poured, accompanied by egg rolls, pot stickers and crab won tons. This is Tampa Bay Uncorked's Valentine event. 7-9 p.m. The Bamboo Club, 2223 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa. $25 in advance (online only), $30 at the door (if available). To purchase tickets, go to www.tampabayuncorked.org
[Last modified February 9, 2005, 09:14:21]
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